


prime

by WattStalf



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-29 22:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13936962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: During a visit to Konohagakure, Temari makes an unlikely friend, and perhaps, something more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> it's mostly just an AU where Neji isn't dead lmao, and I guess AU where no one marries who they does in canon  
> idk what the fuck I'm doing  
> When I was in middle school, I shipped a lot of weird rarepairs and crackships, but was not able to write characters in-character, or feel confident enough in how I wrote them to really bring them to life. This is one such rarepair, and now that I'm an adult, I guess I'm trying to see if I can pull this off, in honor of the me of ten years ago.

Temari’s visit to Konohagakure is based mostly on diplomacy, though, with their being little to discuss during times of peace like this, she’ll have a lot of downtime to enjoy the village. She rather likes Konoha, and enjoys every visit she has, so she’s looking forward to being able to spend some time there. What’s more, Tenten has agreed to be the one to meet her at the gate, and escort her to where she will be staying.

Ever since the first time Tente bugged her for a rematch, the two of them have become more like friends than rivals, sparring together when they have time, with Tenten continuing to develop new ways to counter the advantages Temari has over her. All in all, they are fairly close despite the distance, and Temari is also looking forward to getting to see her.

Sure enough, once she crosses through the village gates, having shown the paperwork for her and her Suna escorts to the guards, she is greeted by not only Tenten, but the rest of her team as well. “Temari!” she calls out, a large smile on her face. “I’m so glad you got here safely!”

“Well, we’re fortunate enough that there aren’t as many dangers as there used to be,” she replies. “You’re looking great, Tenten.”

“You too, Temari. Hope you’ve got time for a fight before you have to leave.”

“Now, now, I just got here. At least let me have some time to see the sights before you drag me into your training,” she teases, before turning her attention to the men accompanying Tenten. “Neji, you’re looking well too. And you too, Lee.” Both thank her in turn, and then she turns to Maito Gai. “You’re looking just as strong as ever.”

“Oh, Temari, there’s no need for flattery,” the older man says, giving her a bright, winning smile.

“It’s not flattery at all,” she replies, not even hoping to match the intensity of his smile with her own. “You’re all looking great, I do mean it.”

“Well, with diplomats like this, it’s no wonder the world is so peaceful,” he says with a chuckle, and Tenten shakes her head.

“Oh, Gai-sensei…” she says with a sigh.

“In any case, it was Tenten’s idea that we should treat you to lunch! Your first meal of this trip should be memorable, after all,” he goes on to say.

“I appreciate the offer, but none of you have to pay for me,” she replies. “It’s memorable enough just getting to eat with all of you.”

“There you go again with that flattery! Come on, Temari, I insist,” he says with a smile, this one even brighter than the last.

“Yeah, come on!” Tenten says, going along with it. “When I said we should all eat together, Gai-sensei said he would be the one paying, and he made it a promise too. You don’t want to make him break a promise to me, do you?”

“Fine, fine, you guys win,” Temari says, not needing to put up that big of a fight in the end. “But this will only be a one time thing, got it?”

“Well,” says Gai, “I won’t make any promises there.”

~X~

Once the five of them are at the restaurant, they begin talking more, getting caught up on things that have happened in their lives, as well as their villages, and it is during the conversation that Temari begins to realize something. “Tenten, is there something you’re forgetting to tell me?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Maybe I’m wrong, and sorry if I am and this makes things weird, but you two,” she says, pointing first to Tenten and then to Lee. “You’re more than just teammates now, aren’t you?”

Tenten blushes, looking down at the table for a moment, and mumbling, “Well, I was getting to that, I mean, you’re not wrong, and…”

“Of course!” Lee interjects, looking proud. “Tenten only recently agreed to be my girlfriend! But, because we’ve known each other for so long, things are moving rather quickly, and we are very close- ah!”

He’s silenced by Tenten elbowing him hard, saying, “You don’t have to say something so embarrassing! She’s not asking for all the details!”

“I’m sorry! I was just so excited to tell her, I must have gotten carried away…”

“Well, get  _ less _ carried away next time!”

“Yes, of course!”

Temari laughs into her hand, and says, “Well, don’t you two make a nice couple? I’m happy for you both. Now, what about the rest of you? Any interesting news on  _ that _ front?”

“If you think my news is exciting, you should know that Neji’s engaged!” Tenten says, looking eager to move the attention away from herself.

“Engaged? Has that much changed since the last time I visited?”

“It’s a political marriage,” he mumbles, resting his elbow on the table and resting his face against his hand, covering his mouth.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s a pretty convenient excuse, huh, Neji?” teases Tenten.

“It’s not an excuse, if it’s true.”

“Political? Are you marrying someone from another land?” asks Temari. “That must be difficult.”

“Nothing like that,” Tenten says. “It’s family politics. You know he’s from one of the big wig clans in the village, right? He’s engaged to his clan’s heiress, he’s marrying the future head of the family. But that’s not all there is, right, Neji?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, his voice almost completely muffled as he leans further into his own hand.

“You and Hinata have gotten  _ so _ close over the years,” she continues. “Neither of you really put up that much of a fight when the engagement was announced. And, you know, I don’t know much about Hyuuga politics, but the arranged marriages tend to be between more distant members of the clan, and they usually happen later, so I wonder where her father got the idea for it to be you, and for it to be so soon…”

“Tenten, please stop talking about things you know nothing about,” he says, and despite the words, his tone sounds almost like pleading, and it’s very hard for Temari not to laugh at him.

“If you’re in love then there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!” Lee butts in, beaming at his flustered teammate.

“That’s exactly right, Neji!” Gai adds. “You’re fortunate to have found love where you did, while you’re still young enough to enjoy it!”

“So enjoy it!” Lee proclaims, looking close to tears, and when Temari looks back at his teacher, he also looks a little misty eyed. It seems like there’s never a dull moment with this team, and it’s a nice change of pace from her mostly boring duties back in Sunagakure.

“Would you all stop making a racket?” Neji snaps, before turning to Temari, giving her a harsh glare as if to say,  _ This is all your fault, you know. _

She smiles politely back, as if to say,  _ Sorry, sorry, I’ll do something about that _ . “And what about you?” She turns her gaze to Gai. “I’ve heard about everyone else, which makes it your turn.”

“Huh? My turn?” Giving her a bittersweet smile, he says, “Dear Temari, I’m afraid there isn’t much to tell, other than that’s yet another victory I have no choice but to give to Kakashi.”

“Gai-sensei, it isn’t like that at all!” Lee protests, and as he speaks, it seems rehearsed, like this is something he’s had to say a lot. “People have different paths in life, and your path and Kakashi-sensei’s paths were different! His marriage to Anko-sensei is not a loss! After all, you were not even interested in her, so you didn’t lose her to him, he simply got married before you did, and even if you never-”

“Lee, you’re just making it worse!” Tenten interrupts, ready to throw her elbow again, if need be. “We’ve  _ talked _ about this, sometimes you can be insensitive when you’re not trying to be so cut it out!”

“No need to be so harsh, Tenten,” Gai says, already seeming to have fully recovered. “You and I both know Lee’s heart is in the right place, and he’s exactly right! Still, I know I’m well past my prime by now, so it can be hard not to let my bitterness get the better of me.”

“You don’t look past your prime to me,” Temari says, though she isn’t sure why she goes so far with her flattery when there is no need to. “There might be time left for still.”

“I don’t know about that, but I do appreciate the sentiment! With a can-do, never-give-up attitude, anyone can take on anything!”

The rest of the meal goes similarly, with Temari asking a question here or there that leads to some sort of outburst from one of them, and it’s easy for the team to get derailed from there. All in all, they’re a lively bunch, and Temari enjoys being around them quite a bit. It’s not only nice to get to see Tenten,  but to get to be with the rest of her team as well, and feel like a part of such an interesting group, if only for a little bit.

After lunch, she has to get back to where she’s staying and rest up before her first official meeting, but she looks forward to getting to see them again before her trip comes to an end.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next day or so, Temari mostly finds herself in and out of meetings, but as soon as she has some time to herself, she decides to spend it sightseeing. She likes it here, and doesn’t get to visit often enough that sightseeing becomes boring for her. And getting to simply wander around the village is peaceful, and almost makes this feel like a vacation, even if she is here on business.

And while she is out, she spots some familiar faces; that is, she sees Maito Gai again, but this time, he is not with his team, and is instead with his apparent rival, Kakashi Hatake. He spots her around the same time she spots him, and when he waves her over, she waves back and goes to join the two of them.

“It’s a pleasure running into you again, Temari!” he says, with yet another blinding smile. “How’s your visit treating you?”

“Very nicely,” she replies. “Hello, Kakashi. It’s been a while.”

“That it has,” he says with a nod. “Glad to see that you’re still doing well.”

“Congratulations, by the way,” she says. “I heard you got married.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

“Never thought I’d see the day he tied the knot,” Gai says, sounding almost like a proud parent. “Of course, I also hoped he wouldn’t beat me in that regard, but...no! We talked this over yesterday, it’s not  _ truly _ a victory!”

“Still going on about everyone having different paths in life?” Kakashi asks, with a brow raised, and Gai hangs his head.

“Are you trying to rub it is? Are you just being cruel to me, Kakashi?” He sighs. “You know, I have no need for a wife to make me happy! I’ve already lived a very fulfilling life, and my team is more than enough of a family! You do know that, don’t you?”

Despite his words, it’s very apparent that he’s lonely. Temari wonders if there’s anyone special, or if there ever was anyone special, that he wanted to take that step with, and she wonders if there’s really no hope left for him, where romance is concerned. Not that it’s any of her business, but if he’s lonely, it might have to do with more than just being single. Lee and Tenten probably like to spend a fair amount of time together, and Neji is engaged now, so maybe even the teammates he considers a part of his family are more distant than he would prefer.

She can’t help but feel bad for the poor guy, and decides that she should try to do something to help out with that, if she has the chance. After all, she does owe him for buying her lunch the day before, and if she can make him feel a little bit better, then that will probably be enough to repay him.

While she’s been lost in her thoughts, he and Kakashi have resumed bickering, and she tunes back in as Gai says, “I’ll take you on right here if I need to! Come on, we’ve got to have our next match soon anyway, so let’s do it! Temari, do you want to help keep score?”

“I don’t know about that,” she starts to say, and Kakashi holds up a hand.

“Let’s not bother her with that,” he says. “Besides, you haven’t even given me a chance to reply. I was going to decline your challenge, after all.”

“Huh?! Just scared of losing, right?!”

Kakashi ignores him, and says, “Sorry if we held you up with this, Temari. I’m sure you’ve got a lot you need to do, so we’ll see you around.”

“Alright,” she says with a smile, bidding both of them farewell. It isn’t until she’s a little bit further away that she allows herself to laugh at Gai’s antics, not wanting to laugh in his face. He certainly is an amusing one, but he seems sensitive as well, so she’ll have to tread carefully, where that’s concerned.

~X~

As if perfectly orchestrated, she just so happens to run into him again that night, though he is by himself this time. This seems like as good a time as any to try and repay him for lunch, so she approaches him and says, “Just out by yourself tonight, huh?”

“Well, I like to get out and enjoy the fresh air as much as I can!” he replies. “If it were up to me, I’d probably never go back inside. But, yes, I’m on my own right now. What about you?”

“Same here. I was just going out to get dinner. Would you like to join me?” she asks, deciding for a direct approach. “If you’re not busy, that is.”

“How could I ever decline an invitation from a lady brimming with so much youth?” he replies, grinning at her.

“You pick the place and point me in the right direction,” Temari says. She wonders if she should offer to push him there, but she isn’t sure if that’s polite or not. From time to time, she’s seen Lee assisting him, but she doesn’t want to give the impression that she thinks he can’t do anything without assistance, when she knows that that isn’t the case.

“Just follow me!” he replies, starting off at a fairly impressive pace, and looking excited as he does so.

He leads her to a place, claiming that she’ll want to eat here for the rest of her life once she tries it, and she has to stop herself from laughing at his enthusiasm more than once. Choosing to spend her evening with him will at least keep things interesting, she knows, as he is an incredibly entertaining individual. They get to talking rather easily, sometimes rehashing some of the things discussed the day before, but also finding new topics.

The two of them have an interesting history, though not directly related, what with Temari’s crushing defeat of Tenten in their first Chunin exam, and the situation between Gaara and Gai’s beloved student. That gives them plenty to talk about, as they discuss all the things that happened back then, and how much has changed since then, and just how different everything is now. It’s easy for them to agree that things have definitely changed for the better.

She is the first one to order a drink, and Gai hesitates before saying, “Well, if you’re partaking then I suppose it won’t be rude if I do too, but I usually try not to drink too much in the presence of a lady.”

“Why not?” she asks with a smirk. “Can’t hold your liquor?”

“Nothing like that, I’m just a gentleman! Don’t you worry, I’m sure I could keep up with you, no problem.”

“I guess we’ll see about that,” she teases, though neither of them take things so fast that it becomes anything like a real contest. If anything, they both have just enough to loosen things up more, and make conversation come easier, and keep the mood light. Even when discussing something as morbid as Gaara nearly ending Lee’s career, they’re able to keep smiling, because everything turned out just fine in the end, didn’t it? Lee is better than ever, and Gaara has gone on to achieve more than anyone would have expected for him, and the two became very good friends.

Temari likes being with him, and she likes it so much, and her judgment is just impaired enough, that she is able to say, “I honestly don’t know how Kakashi landed himself a wife first, when you seem way more fun than he is.”

Gai frowns, shaking his head. “I already said earlier that that doesn’t really matter! I’ve got all the family I need!”

“It’s okay if you’re lonely,” she replies.

“So? What about you?” he says, trying to turn the tables on her. “Most people your age have settled down by now too, haven’t they? I mean, I dunno about your brothers, but…”

“You caught me,” she says, admitting to something that she probably wouldn’t have without the assistance of alcohol. “I’m lonely too. Things didn’t exactly work out the last time I tried, and I’ve been too busy ever since. And I guess I know just about everyone there is to know in my own village, and no one ever interested me.”

“So, ya got someone who interests you here?”

“I did. You must have heard  _ something _ about me and Shikamaru Nara. From what I gather, everyone was talking about us for the longest time,” she says. “There were always rumors, after I saved his ass, that there was something going on between us, and eventually, I did try to go after him, but he’s pretty complicated for someone who acts so simple.”

“Things didn’t go too badly, I hope.”

“No, not too badly, he just wasn’t interested in that kind of relationship. Honestly, I don’t know  _ what _ he’s interested in, if anything. But he’s still a good friend, so I didn’t lose anything.” She sighs. “Except maybe some of my pride.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Gai says this so loudly that people at nearby tables give them a glance. Upon seeing who it is, however, they turn away; his outbursts must be a very common occurrence, wherever he may go. “A beautiful young lady such as yourself has plenty to be proud of! You should never let a little rejection get you down, got it?”

She’s surprised by just how passionate he is in his response, and simply nods. “I got it,” she says. “I appreciate the words of encouragement.”

“You may be lonely now, but you’ll find someone yet! You’re still in the prime of your life! The sun has not yet set on your youth, so never lose hope!” She wonders if it’s just because they’re drunk that he’s getting this into things, but there’s a part of her that is pretty sure he wouldn’t behave much differently while sober. Still, there is something in his words that reaches her, that makes her feel rather strangely, and rather warm.

“You shouldn’t give up hope either,” she finally says. “I mean, look at you! You’re still as strong and lively as you’ve always been, and just as handsome as ever.”

“Don’t you make fun of me, now,” he says. “Flattery is one thing, but that’s just cruel! You know saying I’m just has handsome as ever doesn’t mean anything if you’ve never thought I was handsome, right?”

“You don’t have to look so deeply into things,” she says with a laugh.

“Maybe I picked up a thing or two from Kakashi!” Gai echoes her laughter, before saying, “But, whether you meant it or not, I’m going to take it as if you did. Being called handsome by someone as beautiful as you? I could cry, I’m so happy!” And, true to his words, he looks as if he could.

When the meal comes to an end, Gai insists and insists on paying for her again, and even though she claims she’s trying to pay him back for lunch the day before, she replies that her company was more than enough, and that  _ he _ is the one who owes  _ her _ . There’s nothing she can do to convince him, so she allows him to pay, and then insists on escorting him home.

“Shouldn’t I be the one taking you back? Is it safe for you to roam the streets at night?”

“You know I can look after myself,” she says. “Just let me take you home, alright?” Fortunately, he doesn’t put up much of a fight after that, and she walks alongside him, making sure that he gets there alright. Normally, she’s sure he would be just fine, but since he’s still somewhat intoxicated, she doesn’t want to take any chances.

“Thanks again for such a great night,” he says, before he goes inside.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, it takes Temari a bit to drag herself out of bed. She drank the night before, that much is immediately clear to her, but it takes a few moments for her to remember what actually transpired, and once she recalls it all, she briefly feels like she’s done something she shouldn’t have. She feels the same sort of guilt one might after a drunken one night stand, but that isn’t the case her.

All she did was go to dinner with someone, with a friend, really, and have some good conversation. She didn’t do anything particularly scandalous, and she knows that, but for a moment, she really feels like she did. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that, once she had a few drinks in her, she definitely openly flirted with him a few times, though she isn’t sure why she would do something like that.

All in all, she had fun during their dinner and she feels like he did too, which means that she succeeded in what she wanted to do, but there is still a part of her that feels like she’s done something that she shouldn’t have. But she’s got more meetings today, so there isn’t time to think about that now. Right now, she has to drag herself out of bed and make herself presentable, and pretend that she didn’t stay out late, having dinner and drinking with Gai.

She spends most of the morning distracted, as she remembers more and more about the night before. Every memory that she has is pleasant, and she feels silly having worried about it before, but the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that the only thing that’s truly concerning about the previous is night is that it’s lead to her wondering if she might be developing a more than friendly interest in Gai. Which is completely ridiculous, and she would have said someone was crazy if they had told her this would happen just a few days before.

How did things start to change so quickly?

She knows that a part of it probably has to do with the fact that she hasn’t gone out with anyone in a while, or even had anyone that she was interested in going out with. The prospects in her home village are less than impressive, at least to her, but that doesn’t do much to explain why Gai is suddenly considered a prospect. Well, whatever; she can’t undo what she’s done, and if she’s looking forward to seeing him again, it can’t be that bad.

When she has free time, she once again chooses to wander through the village, hoping to run into some familiar faces, and some more than others. Though she doesn’t run into the person she secretly hopes to, she  _ does _ run into Tenten, who says, “I’m glad I found you! I was hoping you’d be out today, I wanted to ask you something.”

It’s not surprising that she’s already here to interrogate her. Gai has a big mouth, after all, and if anyone would have heard about it by now, it’d be his students. Temari says, “Sure, you wanna walk with me?”

“Alright, so I heard about this through Lee who heard it directly from the source,” she starts. “Did you go on a date with Gai-sensei last night?”

“It wasn’t a date,” Temari mumbles, before realizing that she’s  _ mumbling _ , and that she’s actually a little embarrassed about this. Well, that’s certainly new, though she isn’t sure what it’s a sign of.

“Oh my god, you guys went out,” Tenten says, shaking her head. “I didn’t think either of them would lie but...wow! Date or not...wow!”

“Come on, it can’t really be that big of a deal.”

“Then why are you blushing? I didn’t even know you  _ could _ blush.” Tenten looks about as shocked as she sounds. “It wasn’t a date, fine, but you went out with him. So? What happened?”

“Nothing happened! We just went to dinner and talked about things, and I tried to pay for him and he wouldn’t let me, and then we went home,” she says, and none of it is even a lie. “That’s really it.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” her friend replies, “knowing that he didn’t actually do anything unforgivable to you.”

“Huh? Did he say he did or something?!”

“Look, I’m kinda fuzzy on the details at that point, but apparently Lee says he was really guilty and upset about it, and Lee said he didn’t want to believe Gai-sensei could do anything like that, but from the way he was acting, he was worried...or something like that. Good to know it’s just Gai-sensei overreacting like always, huh?”

“I’ll say,” Temari mutters, not admitting that she felt a bit of guilt at first as well. It must have something to do with the fact that there was alcohol involved, she tells herself. He’s just overreacting to the same thing, that’s all.

“He’s been melodramatic, from what I’ve heard, but I haven’t been able to find him to get any details, so I’m really glad I ran into you. Honestly, this whole situation has had me feeling like I’m going crazy! Or like I woke up in another universe. I mean, not that it would be a bad thing if you and Gai-sensei went out, it’s just unexpected, and when I thought it was something a little worse, I thought there was no way he would do something like that, so that’s what  _ really _ made it weird.” Tenten continues to ramble, and as Temari listens, she wonders how Tenten would react if she knew the sort of things she’s been thinking about today.

“So? Is there any chance something more might come of this? I just want to know what to expect,” she finally says.

Amused, Temari replies, “I’d have to talk to him face to face before I could tell you anything about that, but I thought I already told you that it was nothing.”

“You’re just not acting like it’s nothing, that’s all! But, fine. You want to talk to him? I might be able to arrange that,” she says. “I’m sure he’s probably going to want to apologize for whatever it is that he thinks that he did to you, anyway.”

So Tenten promises to get her teacher to meet up with Temari, and they set up a time for this meeting to occur, and, in the meantime, Temari doesn’t know how to occupy herself. She shouldn’t be this impatient for something like this, but she knows by now that, over the course of one night, she’s managed to throw herself almost completely off-balance, and that there’s not much hope of fixing that right now.

And why should she have to fix it anyway? So she might like someone for the first time in a while, and that someone might be an eccentric older man, and what does any of that matter to her? She’s always been confident, for as long as she can remember, and there’s no reason for her to doubt herself or her feelings now. If this is what she wants, then far be it from her to not go after it, just because it might be a little strange, or unexpected.

All that she needs to do, and all that she really  _ can _ do, is just see how this goes.


End file.
